Leon Rebello
McPherson · Liberal National Party · Australia
“But it's becoming really frightening when there is nowhere else to go if i can no longer afford rent and health care too. Another person said: As a still working, self funded semi retiree (73years) old, I feel disillusioned and disgusted by our current govt, who seem to be hell bent on removing any incentive to be a self sufficient, hard…”
“I'm going to read out some of the comments that ordinary Australians in the 65-plus category have sent to me and give them a voice in this place, because those on the opposite side of this parliament are prepared to go against them. I quote one person: 'That's a joke, Leon. We currently struggle to maintain existing low cover.”
“A lot of them are hanging on by the skin of their teeth financially, when they need their insurance the most and after paying premiums for years with minimal claims. Labour will pay the price if they mess with older Australians … Another person said: So this is over $1200 for the two of us.”
“We received over 2,000 responses to those surveys, and most of the responses focused on the fact that these are older Australians who have worked for this country, who have done the right thing for so many years, and now they're finding themselves in a really difficult spot as a result of this government's characterisation of them.”
“And I say to those opposite, the ones who have contributed to this debate and those who are sitting in the chamber today or watching, you should really look at yourself and look at the content of what we're saying, because this is about your parents, it's about your grandparents and it's about people that you represent, or are supposed to…”
“I commend my friend and colleague the member for Gippsland for moving this motion in relation to the government's failure to govern for older Australians. I am livid.”
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“I rise today to speak on an issue that affects every parent across our nation—that is, child care. Child care is a cornerstone of a strong economy. It enables parents to return to work, supports early childhood development and helps families balance the competing pressures of modern life. Yet, despite record government spending on childcare subsidies, parents are paying more out of pocket than ever before. That's a reality that families simply cannot ignore. It's vital that we have a childcare system that truly works. Recently I spoke with local advocate Jen Fleming in my electorate, and I speak today to amplify her voice. Jen reminds us that no two families look the same, and childcare policies must reflect that.”
“They are the front face of this energy crisis, and those are the people who expect that their representatives in this place, including myself, speak up and speak out about a government that is incompetent in managing our energy policy and a minister at its helm who has no idea about where he's taking this country. Madam Speaker Scrymgour, I say to you that Australia is struggling, Australians are struggling and energy policy is something that must be addressed by this government.”
“It is high time that the Minister for Climate Change and Energy is honest with the Australian public and that he actually details how much this government's energy and emissions reduction policies are costing the Australian taxpayer. Across this country, in all directions, Australians are paying for this government's failures. And it's not just the individuals; it's the businesses. I've had the opportunity and the privilege of speaking to a number of businesses in my electorate this week, including one quite distressed business owner in Coolangatta earlier this week.”
“We saw, time and time again, that Australians were promised a $275 cut to their power bills by last Christmas and that they would be $378 lower by 2030. But what have we actually seen? We're paying up to $1,300 more for our energy costs. We've seen that, instead of the lower energy costs that were promised by this government, Australians are now paying more due to the policies of this government. Now, when the coalition left office emissions were at 27.3 per cent, and now they stand at 27.4 per cent below the baseline of 2005. It is so clear that this government has no idea about what the consequences are of what it is doing and where it is taking this country. It is high time that Chris Bowen is honest with the Australian public.”
“The latest quarterly update of Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory showed us that, despite the billions of taxpayer dollars spent by the Albanese government, our emission reductions have basically flatlined. The figures are also proof that Chris Bowen won't meet his 2030 emissions reduction target of 43 per cent below the 2005 base year. So for those opposite to criticise us not only for calling out this energy minister and calling out this government but for being upfront and honest with the Australian people about where we're at and where we're going as a country in relation to energy policy is quite frankly misleading to the Australian people, and that concept of misleading has continued throughout the course of this government.”
“I'll start by responding to the contribution of the member for Forde, who spoke about the fact that we, on this side of the parliament, are going through some sort of ideological crusade. Well, I think the average person watching will look at this government's endless pursuit of renewables and really question the member for Forde as to whether it's this side of the chamber that's going through an ideological crusade or the government. He also spoke about the fact that the direction that Chris Bowen, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, is taking our country in is going to result in material wealth beyond our imagination. That is not the experience of people across my electorate. That is not the experience of people across Queensland or people across this country.”
“I am delighted to speak on the motion moved by the member for Wannon, the shadow minister for energy and emissions reduction, but I'm also concerned. I'm concerned because what we're seeing on the other side is a continual misunderstanding of how bad this situation is. Once again, Australians across the country are facing increased energy bills. Electricity costs rose 32.2 per cent in the 12 months to January 2026, which is an increase from a 21.5 per cent rise in the 12 months to December 2025. What does that mean? It means that families across my electorate—from Burleigh to Bilinga, to Currumbin, to Tugun and to Mudgeeraba—are all having to pay for the consequences of this government's failures when it comes to energy policy. I've been listening to some of the contributions of those opposite.”
“Recent AEC disclosures show the CFMEU money flowing back into Labor coffers, despite the PM's promise not to take it. When scrutiny was shut down last year, Australians were told it was unnecessary, and now we know why. This is not isolated misconduct; it is systemic, it is entrenched and it is protected. If the Victorian minister refuses to release the full, unredacted report, the Prime Minister must answer for himself or be complicit in a cover-up. Australians deserve transparency, integrity and a government that confronts corruption, not one that shields it.”
“I rise to expose what looks like an industrial-scale conspiracy at the heart of the Australian Labor Party. Last year the Prime Minister shut down parliament's scrutinising the scale of the CFMEU-Labor corruption racket. Now, they stand accused of presiding over $15 billion in washed money. This CFMEU-Labor cartel has ripped off Australians, driven up construction costs and pushed homeownership further out of reach. Geoffrey Watson SC's report into systemic corruption in the Victorian CFMEU division was delivered on 1 December last year, yet two chapters allegedly detailing the CFMEU Labor cartel have been stripped from the version made public. What are they hiding? Australians have footed the bill for $15 billion in washed money.”
“These are the people who keep our communities both strong and resilient. The Australia Day awards give us a moment to shine a light on those efforts and to remind ourselves that our national character is built from countless acts of decency and responsibility carried out at the local level. So I say to all recipients across the country but especially to those honoured from my electorate of McPherson, on the southern Gold Coast, thank you for what you have done and for the example you set not only for your peers and for your colleagues but for future generations. McPherson is proud of you, and our community is stronger because of your service.”
“That range matters because a strong community needs capability, care, culture and connection. These honours are a reminder that Australia works best when people step up not for recognition but because it's the right thing to do. Behind every recipient is a wider story: families, colleagues, volunteers, teammates and communities who share the sacrifice that service often requires. That spirit of service is at the very heart of Australia Day and at the very heart of who we are as Australians. It's a day not just to look back at our national story but to recognise the everyday actions that continue to shape it. Across our country, Australians are volunteering, caring, mentoring, protecting and leading, often without fanfare and often while juggling family, competing commitments, work and personal sacrifice.”
“In the Member of the Order of Australia awards, I congratulate Mr Alan Finch AM for significant service to higher education through the design and implementation of models of governance, Mrs Lorraine Ledwell OAM for service to community health and to breast cancer awareness, Mr Robert Paterson OAM for his service to the community through his involvement in a wide variety of organisations, the late Mrs Joy Ransley-Smith OAM for service to ballet and to the performing arts and Mr Brian Stewart OAM for his service to lawn bowls, who I recently had the pleasure of meeting. In the meritorious awards, Ms Nicole Lockie received the Emergency Services Medal. Each of our local recipients comes from a different field, but there are a number of common threads: commitment, integrity and sustained service.”
“The people we honour reflect the very best of the Australian spirit, service over self, resilience in the face of challenge and a deep belief in giving back. These honours matter because they tell a broader story about who we are as Australians. They show that a fair go is something we give to one another and that unity is built through actions, not words. On Australia Day, when we celebrate our shared journey, these awards remind us of who we are when we are at our best and who we can be when we choose to look after one another. These awards celebrate service above self, often given quietly, consistently and over many years. In McPherson we are proud to congratulate our 2026 honour recipients, each of whom is highly deserving. Together they represent the very best of the southern Gold Coast and our national character.”
“I rise to support the motion acknowledging the Australia Day awards and congratulate all recipients. The Order of Australia is our highest national honour, recognising Australians whose service has strengthened our nation and our communities. Australia Day is a moment to reflect on what binds us together as a nation and on the values that have shaped Australia into the country that we are proud to call home. It's a day to recognise that our success has never come from titles or status but come from people who step up, lend a hand and serve others without expectation of reward. The Australia Day honours and the Australia Day awards and medals bring those values to life. They remind us that service, compassion and commitment are not abstract ideas. They are lived every day by Australians in our communities.”
“Just as importantly, OzHarvest invests in the future, working with more than 10 local schools to deliver their FEAST program, empowering young people with food education and life skills. As an OzHarvest volunteer I've previously been involved in their incredible work in the garden at the Currumbin Community Special School. They embody the very best of community spirit. I thank their staff, volunteers and partners for their tireless efforts, and I commend their work to this place.”
“I rise today to commend the outstanding work of OzHarvest and the enduring positive impact they continue to have on my community on the southern Gold Coast. Across Australia each year an estimated 7.6 million tonnes of food is wasted, while at the very same time 3.4 million Australian households experience food insecurity. OzHarvest's incredible work reduces food waste while ensuring that surplus food is delivered to those who need it most. Their model not only feeds people but also strengthens communities like mine whilst benefiting our environment. In 2025 alone, OzHarvest delivered over 400,000 meals to people in need across the southern Gold Coast. They rescued more than 164,000 kilos of food from landfill, partnered with 18 local charities and prevented over 164,000 kilos of CO2-equivalent emissions from entering our atmosphere.”
“For as long as I'm in this place, I will make sure that we hold this government to account, because small businesses expect nothing less and they are not getting what they deserve from an out-of-touch Albanese Labor government.”
“We need to make sure that we hold this government to account, because they need to—and somebody needs to—stand up for those individuals who are putting in their all and who are still hitting the brick wall. The government is treating small businesses like an ATM, and while they're spending faster than the tax base can support, they're thinking, 'If we just tax more, if we regulate more, if we control more, we are actually going to, as a government, be able to deliver some of the services that Australians need.' That is not the solution. That is not how you generate growth in this country and it's not how you generate growth anywhere.”
“I believe it's because we've got a government that is not creating the economic conditions to allow its citizens to thrive, to take risks, to back their judgment and to support growth. It's too expensive. It's not only that it's too expensive; it is overly burdensome in terms of the obligations the government places on small-business owners. Small businesses are being hit across the spectrum at the moment. If they're not being hit for industrial relations issues, they're being hit with the cost of energy. I spoke to a small business in Robina Town Centre in my electorate not too long ago who had suffered electricity bills of more than $7,000. These are unsustainable figures.”
“This, combined with what the Minister for Small Business has been going on about and combined with the Treasurer and his recent comments about the state of our economy, paint a consistent profile of a government that is ignoring the reality of the situation that they have created, and the reality of that situation is that small businesses across this country, including in my electorate, are hurting. They're struggling. What is the consequence of this? We're actually fostering a new generation that is turning around and saying, 'We don't want to engage in that risk, because we're seeing our parents, we're seeing our families, and we're seeing people around us who have done that, and government has actually punished them.' It's not because of their own doings. I don't believe it's because small businesses are dodgy.”
“I was in the House of Representatives—I think it was last week—and I sat across from the Minister for Small Business when I heard her attack the shadow minister for small business and say, 'The reason that these businesses have gone insolvent is potentially because they were dodgy. To hear that level of not only distrust but arrogance coming out of the person who's supposed to be standing up for small businesses in this country is unacceptable. This prime minister now holds an unenviable record of being the worst prime minister in Australian history for small-business insolvencies. I heard the member for Deakin, who I think is a fantastic individual, before say that insolvencies don't necessarily mean the end for small business.”
“It's about backing themselves or allowing them to back themselves so that they can take risks and build something that lasts and, in doing so, support the employment of thousands of Australians. It's that spirit, that pursuit of reward for risk, of resilience with responsibility, that sits at the heart of the small-business community in my electorate of McPherson on the southern Gold Coast. With where we're at as a country, what we've seen over the last couple of days is statistics that are coming out that are shocking. They are quite frankly frightening, with 41,749 collapsing, with 2025 being the worst year for small-business insolvencies since records began.”
“I'm very pleased to speak to this motion moved by the member for Goldstein, because it gives us an opportunity to not only talk about the importance of small business but to talk about what we are seeing in government at the highest levels right now. It's important for a number of reasons, and I've been the beneficiary of small business. I grew up in a small-business family, and I understood very much the sacrifices that were involved in that. I saw my parents work very hard. They took on multiple jobs. They always had to make sure that others were paid before them. It's those sacrifices that go to the heart of the Australian character. It's something that as a country we should make sure we support, we encourage and we allow to thrive. It's more than just the profit. It's about giving people agency over their own lives.”
“We'll continue to call for immediate accountability for human rights abuses, stronger protections for diaspora communities here in Australia and early decisive action against hostile foreign influence. This motion is necessary, but it should not be mistaken for leadership. Leadership requires courage, speed and moral clarity. The Australian people and the Iranian people deserve that leadership much sooner. The coalition will continue to hold this government to account until words are consistently matched by action.”
“The coalition has consistently called for stronger and earlier sanctions, decisive action against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and a tougher stance on Iranians and Iranian officials complicit in repression and terrorism. It should not have taken sustained pressure from the opposition, from civil society and from diaspora communities for this government to finally act. Leadership means acting before atrocities escalate, not after international outrage becomes impossible to ignore. The coalition's position has been clear and consistent. We stand with the people of Iran. We stand with women and girls who are courageously resisting oppression, and we believe Australia must take a firm, principled stance against regimes that brutalise their own people and seek to undermine democratic societies abroad.”
“It's precisely because events in Iran do affect Australia that a strong and principled stance matters. Stability in the Middle East is directly tied to the security of global shipping routes and energy markets upon which Australia's economy relies. When regimes engage in destabilising conduct, whether through proxy activity, interference abroad or repression at home, it's not a distant issue. It has real implications for Australia's national security, our economic interests, and the safety of Australians here and overseas. The government now points to sanctions and diplomatic measures as evidence of resolve, but let us be clear: these actions were not proactive—they were reactive.”
“Yet for too long this government hesitated, issuing statements while abuses continued and delaying decisive action at precisely the moment leadership was required. Even more concerning is that Iran's malign influence has not stopped at its borders. Australian authorities have taken serious steps after intelligence linked Iranian state actors, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to activities that were designed to intimidate communities and even to direct attacks on Australian soil. Members of the Iranian-Australian community have also reported intimidation, surveillance and threats extending beyond Iran's borders. They were not asking for rhetoric; they were asking for protection, for clarity and for leadership. Too often, they were met instead with delay.”
“We've seen communication blackouts imposed to conceal the scale of violence from the world, actions repeatedly documented by international partners and human rights organisations. These are not sudden developments; they are the predictable behaviour of a regime that has repeatedly demonstrated its contempt for basic human dignity and the rule of law. Let me also state clearly: the Iranian regime is not a friend of Australia's, but the Iranian people are. Australia has long stood in solidarity with the Iranian people, particularly the courageous women and girls who continue to demand equality and freedom despite grave personal risk. Our disagreement is not with a civilisation or a culture but with the actions of a government that has consistently chosen repression over reform.”
“I rise to support this motion moved by the member for Menzies. I do so, however, with a profound sense of frustration. While the words contained in the motion are welcome, the reality is that the action it gestures towards has come far too late. For years, the coalition has urged the government to take stronger, clearer and more decisive action against the Iranian regime, both for its brutal repression of its people and for its malign activities beyond its borders. The question before us is not whether action is justified—that has never been in doubt. The real question is why the government waited so long. The human rights situation in Iran has been dire for years, not months. We've witnessed violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters, arbitrary arrests and executions, and the systematic oppression of women and girls.”
“We must hold this Labor government to account, because the reason that we are in the situation that we are in and that this economy is in the situation it's in is that we've got a government that is not prepared to act within the necessary fiscal guardrails that are required to manage inflation and manage reckless spending. I say this: as a country, we need to think seriously, and I urge this government to think seriously about the legacy that it is leaving and the debt burden that it is leaving for the next generation, because, if we're not putting that front and centre of our considerations in this place, something is clearly wrong.”
“Originally, that was estimated to cost $90 million this financial year, but it's now coming in at a cost of around $1.35 billion, yet another example of how you can't trust this Labor government to spend your money wisely. The bottom line is that all of this government spending is keeping our interest rates and our inflation at the highest levels in the developed world, and that has real, tangible consequences. I see those, and I'm sure my colleagues across the board here see those when they go back to their electorates and they're presented with the problems that our constituents face on a daily basis.”
“We've seen the budget continue to blow out. Before this Labor government, the previous biggest budget blowout in spending was $10 billion, but now we're seeing a budget blowout that is more than five times that. I've sat in question time time and time again, and I've seen the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, talking about how he's using your money, which you provide as taxpayers, to subsidise the installation of home batteries. The program was originally costed at $2.3 billion, but it's now blown out to $12.3 billion in just six months. That's a blow-out of over $10 billion. You cannot trust this Labor government to spend your money wisely. They're also using your money to subsidise the electric vehicle preferences of some.”
“We're looking at inflation rates at the moment, and inflation in this country sits at 3.8 per cent, which is significantly above the target range of two to three per cent. We've seen the Assistant Treasurer, Daniel Mulino, recently say that it's actually a global phenomenon at the moment. Well, if you actually look at where Australia sits, Australia and the UK are now the only two countries in the developed world where inflation sits above three per cent. So it is 0.8 percentage points above the upper range of where it should be in Australia. And not only that, but we all saw the commentary by economists in the lead-up to the rate rise on Tuesday. It was predicted, and it was predicted because of what we've seen in this country from this government. It's the reckless spending that has continued under Labor.”
“But I also have the ability at times to speak to people who have managed to get into their first home, and now they're presented with an increase to their repayments and with yet another barrier to real wage growth as well. What we're seeing by this Labor government is no real growth strategy. Consistent with Labor ideology, we're seeing the constant redistribution of what we already have. As somebody who represents the next generation, I think we need to set our sights higher. Not only that, we need to make sure that this government takes responsibility for where it hasn't been able to achieve what is required by the Australian people. Let's look at the state of this economy.”
“I always love going back to my electorate after coming to Canberra, although I do really appreciate and relish the opportunity that I've been given to represent, in this place, the people of McPherson. But this time I'll be going back to McPherson with some bad news, and it's bad news in relation to the state of our economy. As we're all aware, we've seen a yet another—the 13th—interest rate rise in Australia. It's well known and well documented that we're going through a housing crisis, and I have the opportunity every now and then to speak to many people, especially young people, across my electorate who are struggling to get into their first home.”
“He taught me a few words of Macedonian, and he knew every single room and every single story behind every single room in this place as well. Rest in peace, Luch. You will be missed by the parliament, and we had the absolute privilege of spending time with you.”
“For him to be acknowledged in this way following his passing is, I think, a testament not only to him but to our country, because our country is here and our parliament is here to serve those who go about their lives in the way people like Luch did. He had quite an incredible story. When I joined as an attendant, I was in my first year of being an attendant while Luch's daughter Jess was in her second year, so I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Jess. I just say, my thoughts really go out to Jess, to Luch's other daughter, Rebecca, to his son, Joshua, and of course to his wife Mary and extended family as well. Luch will definitely be missed in this place. As someone who had the opportunity to sit next to him in countless question times, I'll always remember the inside jokes.”
“When I was in the chamber yesterday and we had the opportunity to recognise Luch's contribution—and to do so in front of not only the public but, most importantly, his family—I was thinking about Luch and how he would have absolutely loved that, because he very much felt at home in the building, and I think all of us felt at home in the building because he was there. For those who didn't have the opportunity to know him, Luch was the longest serving House of Representatives employee. His service went not only across the lifespan of this building but into the lifespan of Old Parliament House. In fact, I understand that he was involved in the construction of this place as well. Luch understood service. He understood the importance of this place as being significant, and he understood the value of it in our great democracy.”
“I'm rising to speak on today's condolence motion in relation to the passing of Luch Jonceski. Like many in this chamber, we've had the opportunity to know Luch through our work in this place, but I'm probably one of the only elected officials who can say that they shared the chamber with him as a fellow attendant. I met Luch just over 12 years ago when I started in the building as an attendant. I was paired up with Luch in question time on the government side—Luch was always insistent on being on the government side, whoever was in government at the time—and it was a great opportunity for me not only to get to know the work and the parliament but to get to know Luch.”
“They've delivered 13 interest rate rises, they've delivered the highest government spending outside a recession in the last 40 years, they've delivered the sharpest fall in living standards across the developed world, and they've delivered budget blowouts left, right and centre. This is the record of this government, and it's affecting small businesses in my electorate of McPherson and across the country. If you actually look at what this minister said—and this goes back to the arrogance—her interjections, when the shadow minister for small business was raising legitimate concerns felt by small businesses across this country, went to the fact of 'if you're a small business that's going out of business, it's probably because you're dodgy'. That is absolute contempt for small businesses in this country, and it's consistent with—”
“I thank the shadow minister for small business for putting forward this MPI, because it's not only giving me an opportunity to voice the concerns of the thousands of small businesses across my electorate of McPherson on the southern Gold Coast but it has also given this chamber and the Australian people an insight into the arrogance of the Minister for Small Business and, in doing so, an insight into the arrogance of this Albanese Labor government. The member for Bonner has just given us all these reasons for why we should end this MPI and, in effect, congratulate Labor. She started talking about the things that Labor has supposedly delivered. Well, what have Labor delivered?”
“Please join me in making it clear where you stand and make a submission before Monday 9 February. These submissions matter. They will make your views unmistakeably clear and give council the confidence to do what they did last time and reject this proposal. I share your concerns about heavy truck movements through residential streets, noise, dust, health impacts, environmental damage and the long-term loss of amenity. A quarry does not belong beside homes, schools or wildlife corridors. It's quite simply the right project in the wrong location, and we must ensure that council says no again.”
“I rise today to speak directly to the people of Reedy Creek, Tallebudgera, Burleigh and surrounding suburbs, and to make sure your voices are heard loud and clear in the federal parliament. Many of you have contacted me sharing deep concerns about a new proposal for a major quarry to be built in Reedy Creek, adjacent to homes, schools and our natural environment. I share your concerns and I stand with you. This is not a new battle; our community fought this once before and won. A previous quarry proposal was refused by the City of Gold Coast, and that decision was upheld by the Planning and Environment Court in 2017. Now history is repeating itself. Another quarry application has been lodged with the council, and right now your voice matters most.”
“The amendments proposed are reasonable and proportionate by the coalition, and they will enhance the ability of the government to cancel the visas of those who engage in antisemitic rhetoric, Islamic extremism—which is the extremism underpinning Islamic State and other terrorist organisations—and other extremist ideologies which pose a risk of harm to the Australian people. This is not about politics; it's about community safety, confidence in the rule of law, standing with Jewish Australians and confronting Islamic extremism honestly and directly. Australians expect their parliament to name the problem and tackle it properly, and I'm confident that we can do that today.”
“Radical Islamic extremist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir have long operated as conveyor belts to extremism, and internationally they're banned or restricted. In Australia they've operated without consequence and have fuelled antisemitism. This new bill expands the Migration Act to allow visa refusal or cancellation for spreading hatred and extremism, including for involvement in hate-crime conduct, hateful public statements or links to terrorist prohibited hate groups, and this includes those who glorify violence, fuel antisemitism and radicalise individuals. It's in our national interest that the laws relating to cancellation and refusal of visas be strengthened to ensure that the Australian government of the day has the powers to protect the Australian people.”
“Over the last couple of weeks, I've spoken to many people in my electorate—and I've received countless pieces of correspondence from them—who expressed those concerns. They're very real concerns that we in the coalition listen to. The former bill, as I said, was so unfit for purpose that even the government conceded failure. They scrapped their racial vilification laws and have left the coalition to clean up the wreckage. This new bill which is before us now creates new and tougher penalties for crimes motivated by antisemitism and radical Islamic extremism, and it supports tougher action on radical Islamic extremists in positions of influence, specifically targeting those who radicalise or recruit people towards violent or extremist conduct. It also establishes a prohibited extremist group listing regime.”
“It's something that has to be stamped out, and it's something that as a country we should have taken a tougher stand against. It's something that the Jewish community has long been calling for us to do. What happened in Bondi—let's be clear—was the result of two things: antisemitism and radical Islam. These were the root causes. Hatred and extremism have no place in Australia, and, from day one, we as the coalition said that we would work constructively with the government to address this. Instead what we saw was that the government delayed parliament, resisted calls for a royal commission and produced what was unfit legislation that not only failed to address those root causes that I've spoken about but also severely threatened free speech.”
“Like 9/11, we all remember where we were on 14 December last year. For me, I was at a Gold Coast Hanukkah celebration at the exact same time that the Bondi attack went down. It was a really good opportunity to have the Jewish community on the Gold Coast come together for what was supposed to be a very joyful, positive, light filled celebration. Halfway through the ceremony, I was tapped on the shoulder and informed about the tragedy that was unfolding in Sydney. I looked around at the families, at the kids, the parents, the grandparents and the beautiful Jewish community that we have on the Gold Coast. It hit me that what unfolded in Sydney could well and truly have been something that unfolded in that crowd. I've been speaking about the rise of antisemitism in this country since I entered the parliament mid-last year.”
“May the memory of those we lost at Bondi be a blessing—and may it strengthen our determination, in this place, to protect the Australia we love.”
“If you want to build a life here, you must leave imported hatreds at the door and commit to the non-negotiables that bind us together as Australians. From the Gold Coast to Bondi, Australians to live without fear. They want their children to go to the beach, to school or even to synagogue knowing they are safe. This condolence motion is not only about mourning the dead; it is about defending the living in the name of those who paid the ultimate price. It's about deciding the kind of country we will be. I refuse to accept an Australia where Jewish Australians feel unsafe, where hatred is normalised or where extremism is something we are powerless to confront. This is not the Australia I know and, with resolve, honesty and courage, it never will be.”